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Shih-cing Huang

1. The Huang family came to Taiwan for cultivation very early

Shih-cing Huang’s family came to Changhua for cultivation very early, but there were not many records in traditional county gazetteers. In 1711, the precious data was found in an order issued by the Fujian Taiwan Naval Defense Viceroy Hong Yidong to the Huang family.

Shih-cing Huang was a community merchant in the late Kangxi era under the Qing Dynasty. He came to Changhua with his younger brother to solicit tenant farmers to farm fields. In 1690, they applied to the government to cultivate Dalian Village (present-day Tianwei Township of Changhua County). By 1704, it had become farmland, and in 1711 they applied to promote it to farmland status, with the cultivated name “Huang Yuan.” In 1713, the land boundary was drawn against the aborigines, with the canal as the boundary. From this point on, the cultivation history of the Huang family was established in Changhua.

Hydraulics is an important key in the process of farm cultivation. At the same time, Shih-cing Huang was also an outstanding hydraulics engineer, leading the opening of Shiwuchuang Canal (or the second Babao Canal under Japanese rule) in Changhua County. Shiwuchuang Canal is another branch stream next to Babao 1st Canal, and also conveys the water of Jhuoshuei River passing through Erbashui. The irrigation area is Dawujunbao (present-day central Changhua County), approximately irrigating the farmland in Shiwuchuang, Hsichou, Tianchung, Ershui, and Shetou, and the canal is called “Shiwuchuang Canal”. Since water resources come from the same source, it was later called “Babao 2nd Canal,” which was completed in 1721 for usage. Construction began in 1721, before the amount in the records; it should have started construction in 1711, and at the same time it conforms to the schedule needed by the Huang family for the application of cultivation.

2. Shih-cing Huang was instrumental in planning the construction of Babao Canal

“Changhua County Chronicles, Hydraulics” recorded: “Shiwuchuang Canal, in Dawujunbao, constructed by villager Shih-cing Huang in 1721”.

Later, “Shiwuchuang Canal” was renamed “Babao 2nd Canal,” since it also conveys the same river, Jhuoshuei River, which shows its role in the construction of Babao Canal.

Before Shih-bang Shih was constructing Jhuoshuei Canal (or Shicu Canal), Shih-cing Huang had the cultivation rights to “Tungluoshe” and “Tavocol,” the area covered the Mingjian Township in Nantou County close to Jhuoshuei River, and Yuanlin of Taichung Prefecture (Ershui, Tianchung, Shetou, Tianwei, Puxin, and Yuanlin) by the end of World War II. The territory is massive, and demonstrated the need for hydraulic infrastructure. At the same time, since community merchants were local leaders at the time, with considerable power and wealth, and could provide Shih-bang Shih with assistance. With allocation of capital or human resources and the hydraulic technology of the Shih family, the engineering work of the canals progressed especially well. Thus, similarly after ten years of digging, the second year after completion of Babao 1st Canal, Shiwuchuang Canal (or Babao 2nd Canal) could be completed and utilized.

Then, Shih-cing Huang moved to Dapoxin Village of Tavocol Hsibao (present day Puhsin Township Huang’s Residence), and his children and grandchildren grew up in Puhsin and Yuanlin.

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